Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that he believes the Reds belong in the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 2009 as a 0-0 second leg draw with FC Porto was enough to see them through after their 5-0 first leg victory.

The German manager, who was speaking during his post-match news conference, admitted that reaching the quarter-finals is an achievement but he does not want his side to stop now.

“I don’t want to make it smaller than it is, but on the other side, I don’t want to make it bigger than it is,” Klopp said. “I think this year we belong there, to be honest. It should not be a surprise.

“The next round will be very difficult – I think that’s clear. There are a lot of good teams, seven very good teams involved. Maybe four of them are from England. It doesn’t make it easier, to be honest.

“I think we will have a chance, for sure, to go to the semis and that’s, of course, the target. But [we will] take it step by step, it’s cool – absolutely.

“I don’t think it’s early for us. This year is the first opportunity we had to do it and now we are in.”

He added: “We are not a little bit satisfied, to be honest. But I think it was time that we showed up again.

“[There’s] good development in Liverpool at the moment, it’s a nice moment. But you don’t show up in a competition like the Champions League and nobody really will realise it. I’m happy for all the people involved that we made that step. It’s done, it’s good and now let’s go and carry on.”

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